This Saturday will be the opening of the Second Saturdays artisan and antique market, organized by Tim Allen, owner and operator of Chippewa Valley Leatherworks in Ossineke.

The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the parking lot next to the U.S. Post Office in Ossineke on U.S.-23, just north of the intersection of Nicholson Hill Road and U.S.-23. Chippewa Valley Leatherworks is located at 11924 U.S.-23 S., Ossineke, next to the U.S. Post Office.

“It’s something that I saw years ago, when I was living in the Kansas City area,” Allen said of the idea to host an artisan market. “I was a part of it, as a vendor.”

He said they were located in an area with old industrial buildings that were not being used.

Courtesy Photo Chippewa Valley Leatherworks owner Tim Allen is seen wearing vintage clothing inside his shop, located next to the post office in Ossineke.

“Somebody got the idea to organize and start doing a mixed market, per se, and it was anything from antiques to refurbishers to artisans, and it was just this awesome mixture of just cool individual shops,” he said. “You had people coming in as interior designers, and people that just collected antiques, vintage, retro, whatever it was. So, that’s, kind of, the concept I was going for.”

Allen said he hopes to bring back some of those nostalgic moments that tie us to our past.

“I grew up in the area, and I miss having things that we grew up with, as kids,” he said. “Things like Ossineke Old Fashioned Days … I’m trying to rejuvenate and start some of that again, and see if I can gain some momentum, and do something fun in one of the outlying communities of Alpena. Who knows? Maybe it will grow into something bigger, and they’ll say, ‘Let’s bring back Ossineke Old Fashioned Days.'”

Second Saturday attendees will also get to admire the new “Ossie Beverages” mural that Allen painted on the side of the building, paying homage to the soda company that operated out of Ossineke in the 1940s.

“It used to be made and bottled right in Ossineke, so I took an image off an old 1940s glass bottle and painted it on the wall,” Allen said.

Courtesy Photo The interior of Chippewa Valley Leatherworks, owned by Tim Allen, is seen above, featuring handcrafted leather handbags, vintage items, and more. The store is located at 11924 U.S.-23 S., Ossineke.

Allen’s shop was located in downtown Alpena for several years.

“I’ve hosted maker events when I was downtown,” Allen said. “I thought, ‘Let’s just open it up to other people.’ And, now, we’ve got not just vendors, but I’ve got a classic car show going on, I’ve got vintage bicycles, we’ve got musicians lining up, I’ve even got food trucks contacting me.”

He said there’s a lot of interest in this type of event.

“I posted something on Friday, and within 48 hours, I had multiple vendors, food trucks, musicians, contacting me,” he said. “So, I realized there was definitely a hunger for something like this in the area. People are excited about it.”

He said he’s open to vendors contacting him.

“I’m really open to other vendors and people, because I know this community is filled with talented artisans and craftspeople, and other collectors,” Allen said. “Contact me if you’re interested in participating in this event in future months.”

To reach Allen, email chippewavalleyleatherworks@gmail.com.

Reach Darby Hinkley at dhinkley@thealpenanews.com, or by calling 989-358-5691.